Identification clip for keys



P 1939. c. CARRINGTON 7 2,173,752

IDENTIFICATION CLIP FOR KEYS Filed Oct. 26, 1937 Patented Sept. 19, 1939 i UNITED STATES OFFICE IDENTIFICATION CLIP FOR KEYS Campbell Carrington, New York, N. Y. Application October 26, 1937, Serial No. 171,117

2 Claims. (CI. 40-23) This invention relates toidentification clips. tive in retaining their fixed position on the keys, More specifically the invention relates to clips h y fi c ent n d n y n the Various y fordetachable connection with keys whereby any and which can be manufactured at very low cost.

desired key may be readily selected from a num- In the accompanying drawing: ber of keys whether in the light or dark when Figure 1 is a perspective view of a key having 5 such selection is made. one form of the invention engaged therewith.

It is a well recognized fact that much diffi- Figure 2 is a plan view of a key having a clip culty is often experienced in readily selecting any of dilferent form engaged therewith. desired key from a, number of keys whether the Figure 3 is a top plan view of a clip constructed keys be similar in appearance or of marked disin accordance with one embodiment of my inven- 1 similarity. tion.

Many persons carry a great number of keys Figure 4' is an edge viewof the clipillustrated which may be on rings or otherwise bunched, and in Figures 3 and 4. while such persons may have had considerable Figure 5 is a bottom plan view of the clip il experience in the use of the various keys in their lustrated in Figures 3 and 4; .15 possession, they are in most cases unable to im- Figures 6, 7 and 8 are top'plan views of clips,

mediately select any desired-key from the group each disclosing a different form of design or of keys, due particularly to the fact that the character for identifying a key to which it may keys now in use, and particularly in buildings, are be secured.

, substantially uniform in appearance. Figures 9 and 10 are edge views of" clips, each 0 Furthermore, it is a fact that the majority of disclosing a modified form'ofakey engaging mempersons who carry only a few keys have difiiculty bers.

in selecting any desired key. Thus, e. g., the auto- Figure 11 is a plan View of a stamped blank mobile ignition key and spare tire keys are quite for providing a dual clip.

dissimilar in appearance and the possessor of Figure 12 is an edge view of a, finished clip 25 such keys may have learned to readily distinguish formed from the blank shown in Figure 11. such keys, and yet he at times forgets which is Referring to the drawing C designates a clip Which and is accordingly obliged to spend some which is formed with a head I!) and a yieldable time in ascertaining the correct key. key engaging U-shaped member I I. The head While it is in many instances difficult to select i0 is disclosed as of circular or disk form, but 30 any desired key from a group thereof by the aid may be of any other desired form, and the thickof light, it is almost impossible to select same in ness of the relatively thin head may be varied as the dark, even when the keys are substantially well as the outer surface contour, which in the different in size and appearance. drawing is shown as of slightly convex form.

A primary object of the invention is the pro- The head ll] may be constructed of any desired 35 vision of key identification clips which may be material, but preferably of such material that readily engaged with the heads of keys, and the leg of the spring steel key engaging memwhich bear designs or characters discernible by be r I! can be soldered or otherwise secured therethe senses of both sight and touch. to.

A further object of the. invention is the pro- The yieldable member is preferably con- 40 vision of key identification clips, each comprising structed from a relatively narrow strip of spring a head provided with a design or character and steel and has one leg l2 secured by soldering to a substantially U-shaped yieldable key engaging the bottom face of the head I0, and the other member secured to the head, whereby the clip is leg it normally converging toward the head Ill 5 capable of being frictionally engaged with the for a purpose later described. head of a key by pushing same edgewise of the Suitably secured to or integral with the head head until such yieldable member springs over it) is a design or character It, which in Figures 2 and frictionally engages the head. to 5, inclusive, is shown as a star, and which as A still further object of the invention is the clearly indicated in Figure 4 is raised above the provision of key identification clips which are upper surface of the head I ll. 50 capable of rapid and inexpensive construction by A clip as thus described and constructed is stamping same from strips of sheet steel. readily engageable with the head of a key K by A still further object of the invention is the pushing the clip edgewise of the key head and enprovision of key identification clips which are tering said head of the key between the legs i2 simple in construction, easy to apply to keys, posiand i3, the converging leg l3 yielding away from 55 the other leg l2 and with the key head frictionally engaged between the legs, whereby the clip is maintained on the key without accidental disengagement thereof.

By providing the star or any other character or design of raised form it will be readily distinguished by the sense of touch in the dark. Various other forms of characters may be used. Thus in Figures 1 and 6 are illustrated raised concentric circles, and in Figure I is illustrated a raised triangular figure, while in Figure 8 is illustrated a head having the word "Ofiice thereon, the letters of which may be raised for identification by the sense of touch.

In Figures 1 and 9 are illustrated a clip having a key engaging member the bend in which is disposed outwardly of the head l0, whereby the head In may be positioned nearer the center of the key head, as shown in Figure 1.

In Figure 10 is shown a still further form of key head engaging member 16, the bend in which is downwardly offset and the lower leg is substantially normally parallel with the upper leg.

In this form the offset bend allows for expansion of the member IS in engaging the key head, and the lower leg will engage the key head throughout its length thereby providing a greater frictional grip. The heads ll! of the clips may be provided with various forms of designs and characters whereby each key of a group thereof may be provided with a clip having different marks,

thus providing identification marks for the keys.

Sometimes only one or two keys of a bunch of keys are used frequently in which event these keys could readily be selected if they were provided with a clip such as described herein. The clip heads Ill may be provided with designs or characters only or with words only, such as House and Oflice or both may be used if desired. The clips may embody two heads l0, one secured to each leg of member II, and one provided with a raised design for identification in the dark, and the other having a word for quick identification in the light.

In Figures 11 and 12 is illustrated a key identification clip C which embodies a pair of oppositely positioned heads [0' and a yieldable connecting member ll integral with the heads ID. This form of clip is capable of economical manufacture as it can be readily formed from a fiat blank B as illustrated in Figure 11, and the blanks can be expeditiously and economically stamped from sheets of sheet steel.

The heads H! are provided with suitable characters or designs such as a house, etc., and which is preferably applied prior to bending of the blanks into finished clip form. The characters or designs may be embossed on the heads H1 in order that the same may be readily distinguished by the sense of touch.

The clips C are formed merely by bending the blanks centrally thereof and intermediate the heads l0, thereby providing clips each having a head for disposition on each side of the key head.

What isclaimed is:

1. The combination with a key head having an arcuate edge, of an identification clip for attachment thereto comprising a narrow resilient strip "of uniform width bent into U-form and having relatively large heads on the legs thereof, said heads being identical in shape and having their marginal edges in the same plane, said strip oper ating to hold the entire area of the opposed faces of the heads yieldably engaged with the opposite faces of the key head when the legs of the strip straddle the key head, the bight of the strip engaging and throughout its width contacting with said arcuate edge.

2. The structure as defined in claim 1, wherein the heads have thereon means for identifying a particular key.

CAMPBELL CARRINGTON. 

